The infamous 1993 WACO siege which ended in a cataclysmic tank assault of a religious cult compound by the FBI leaving 70 people dead, including many children, is blamed by many for the rise of the American right wing. The 51 day siege and its explosive end has become a rallying war-cry, warning of a brutal federal government attacking God-loving, gun-owning folk, and destroying them.’ Private gun ownership in the US has doubled since 1993.
Donald Trump staged the first rally of his second presidential campaign at Waco, on the anniversary of the first day of the siege. His inflammatory rhetoric bull-horned out that “They’re coming after you, and I’m going to be standing in their way . . . 2024 is the final battle, it’s going to be the big one.” The extremist conspiracy theorist Alex Jones came to prominence with a campaign to build a new chapel on the ruins of the Branch Davidian compound. The white supremacist gun fanatic Timothy McVeigh visited Waco during the siege, and on the second anniversary of the day it ended he bombed a federal building in Oklahoma City, killing at least 168 people in the deadliest act of domestic terrorism in US history.
The anti-government militia movement gained huge momentum in the wake of Waco
What is noteworthy is that when WACO disaster occurred the overly-excitable and can-be-fanatical tr Uranus Neptune in Capricorn was approaching the USA’s demagogic, dogmatic Mercury in Cancer opposition Pluto in Capricorn – with a combustible Mars in Cancer in play over the tragic end. In the aftermath it is not difficult to see how it would stoke up the negative energy of that US Mercury Pluto, which was in play before over the McCarthy reign of terror amongst others. The USA Mercury opposition Pluto has been on high alert since 2016, first with tr Uranus in square and now with the tail end of the Pluto Return which disappears after this coming October. Although it won’t be a switch off, more a slow winding down.
WACO became a collective embarrassment for the USA and not the FBI’s finest moment by a long shot. The FBI was founded 26 July 1908 though oddly the chart that shows up the WACO fiasco more obviously is the name-change-to-FBI date of 22 March 1935, which has an impulsive, crises-attracting Cardinal Grand Cross of Pluto in Cancer opposition North Node square Uranus opposition Mars – and that was being triggered by the 1993 tr Neptune Uranus opposition Mars = overly-reactive, short fused.
What was also in play was tr Pluto conjunct the FBI Jupiter bringing a mood of over confident, might-makes-right stubbornness. That oddly was also the case with David Koresh, a high school dropout, rock musician and polygamist cult leader who thought he was Christ. Born 17 August 1959 8.49 am Houston, Texas, he had a maverick Sun Uranus in Leo in an over-confident square to Jupiter; and a packed 12th house with Pluto in Virgo trine Saturn in Capricorn sextile Neptune; as well as a can-be-promiscuous Venus Mars in Virgo. When the siege occurred, tr Pluto was conjunct his Jupiter boosting his messianic arrogance. A real oneupmanship tussle with the FBI.
Indications from those on the ground were that a few more days might have solved the siege. Instead of which the FBI’s heavy-handed error of judgment set in train a ripple of unwanted and destructive effects – Timothy McVeigh, Alex Jones and Trump – a testament to the paranoia that lurks in the American psyche.
Add On: The ATF were also involved (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives), 1 July 1972. The initial reason for going into the compound was to investigate illegal weapons. In the initial raid on February 28 1993 four ATF agents and six Davidians were killed in a shootout and the FBI took over.
The ATF has a Cancer Sun in a confident opposition to Jupiter with the Sun also square Uranus and Jupiter square Pluto – so it will tend to be impulsive and arrogant as an organization and not always concerned with sticking to the rules (Jup Pl). Plus a publicity-attracting Neptune trine a flamboyant Mars Mercury in Leo sextiling onto a controlling Pluto.
When the siege occurred tr Uranus Neptune in Capricorn was conjunct the ATF Solar Arc Jupiter, inflaming the over-pushy, power-hungry Jupiter square Pluto. Tr Mars in Cancer (opposition tr Neptune Uranus) was exactly conjunct the ATF South Node over the explosive finish to the siege – anger/competitiveness triggering the ATF’s baser instincts.
Both sides seem bedevilled by Jupiter Pluto – Ebertin describes it in various ways – leading an uprising, desire for power and conflicts with authorities/governmental power. Plus the misfortune to lose everything.
Marjorie, thank you for the add on regarding the ATF. The astrology helps to explain the innate brutality the ATF agents displayed even in the planning stages of the botched stealth raid.
Among the facts which later emerged at the trial for the Branch Davidian’s $675 million civil lawsuit against the federal government is that the gun battle began after the ATF agents attempting to infiltrate the compound shot Fawn, an Alaskan Malamute, and her four puppies, who were in an outdoor kennel, in an effort to prevent the dogs from alerting residents of the compound to the agent’s presence. It should not have come as a surprise to the ATF agents that residents of the compound would hear the shots which killed the dogs they intended to silence- which is exactly what happened. Upon hearing the shots, the residents of the compound returned fire, at which point the situation escalated to a full on gun fight. ( Most Americans would say that this type of “Keystone Cops” behavior is characteristic of the Fed Boys in action.)
I’ve seen many comments on this site by people outside the US who do not understand why so many Americans are opposed to gun control, given the number of mass shootings which occur on a regular basis in this country. Let me begin by saying that I’m neither a gun owner, nor politically aligned with the right, however I understand this phenomenon, and it isn’t the fault of the NRA lobby, Trump supporters, or tragedies like Ruby Ridge, and Waco inflaming AR15 owning extremists on the far right. My guess is that people outside the US are not aware of the fact that along with along with stories about the regular mass shootings, the mainstream media bombards Americans with ( accurate) accounts of police violence, the often fatal use of excessive force by local, and federal law enforcement officers, along with countless examples of abuse of power by government agencies. According to an investigation by the Washington Post, between 2019-2021 police shot at least 178 people ( often fatally) during the course of conducting welfare checks on an individual at the request of a concerned friend, or family member. Additionally, the US Department of Justice estimates that US law enforcement officers shoot at least 10,000 pet dogs in the line of duty every year. Add to that the fact that as Americans, rebellion is in our DNA, which explains a lot in combination with these statistics. Not that this in any way justifies school shootings, and other random acts of violence by bad actors, but the real fear in the American psyche of out of control government agents is an important factor which must be addressed in any future efforts to reduce gun violence in the US.
My apologies for digressing from astrology, but given the regular discussion of US gun violence on this site, hopefully the above information will help shed some light on the phenomenon.
Marjorie, would you be kind enough to take a look at the chart for the ATF as well? Despite the FBI’s notorious role in the siege, it was actually the ATF which initiated the botched raid. The ATF as it exists today was formed on 1 July 1972, although it had a previous incarnation as part of the IRS, which dates back to 31 July 1789.
The botched ATF raid began when convoy of civilian vehicles carrying uniformed ATF agents in SWAT style tactical gear arrived at the compound at 9:45 am, on 28 February 1993. Although the FBI subsequently launched the attack on the Branch Davidian compound, the ATF was responsible for setting off the chain of events which ended in tragedy, as a result of their failed efforts to serve Koresh with a search / arrest warrant, and conduct a daylight raid on the compound.
The ATF opened their formal investigation on 9 June 1992, after receiving a call from the McLennan County Sheriff’s Department. A representative from UPS ( a private delivery company in the US) had contacted the sheriff’s department in May 1992, after one of their delivery drivers reported that a package addressed to the compound containing at least half a dozen grenades had broken open during the delivery process. The driver further sated that the compound had been receiving packages from an arms dealer for months prior to the incident involving the grenade package. Apparently there were also similar reports by postal worker, which are referenced in the affidavit which served as the probable cause to issue a warrant. Originally the ATF raid was planned for 1 March 1993, then moved up to 28 February after the local newspaper published a series of articles about Koresh.
As a side note, the ATF is one of the federal agencies most hated by Americans across the political spectrum. I would invite anyone who doubts this to visit the official ATF Facebook page, and read the comments. The level of vitriol towards this agency thirty years after the Waco incident is incredible to behold.
“which the FBI’s heavy-handed error of judgment set in train a ripple of unwanted and destructive effects”
It’s hard not to think that’s just the American way. Numerous big examples from their government. Numerous examples from citizens who shoot first, ask questions later.
Hi Marjorie, quick question (for my own growing understanding of astrology). With regard to the line “tr Uranus Neptune in Capricorn was approaching the USA’s demagogic, dogmatic Mercury in Cancer opposition Pluto in Capricorn”
…..what makes this demagogic, dogmatic? The Mercury in Cancer or the opp to Pluto?
Mercury opposition Pluto – thinking/speaking merges with the power, control, manipulative Pluto.